Fuse-holder and lightning-arrester



(No Model.)

H. A. LEWIS. Y FUSE HOLDER AND LIGHTNING yARRESTERl No. 554,130.

Patented Feb. 4, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VASSIGNOR OF NINE-TVENTIETHS TO JAMES C. YERKES, OE READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

FUSE-HOLDER AND LIGHTNING-ARRESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,130, dated February 4, 1896.

Application filed January 17, 1395. Serial No. 535,244, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY A. LEWIS, of Norristown, in the county of Montgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Fuse- Holder and Lightning -Arrester, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of devices which are adapted for 1o use as fuse-holders and lightning arresters, and which are adapted to automatically cut out the line of an electric circuit in case the current is excessively increased.

The object of my invention is to produce a very simple contrivance of this kind which employs a fuse or fusible wire to form a part of the line, this wire being adapted to be burned out in case the current is excessively increased; also to provide means for easily zo inserting and removing the fuse-block, to provide an automatic device for grounding the excessive current, and in general to produce a device which may be inserted in any electric circuit and will effectually prevent 25 instruments of various kinds from being burned out and ruined.

To these ends my invention consists of certain features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter de- 30 scribed and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, formingapart of this specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the 3 5 views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus embodying my invention. Eig. 2 is a plan view of the same, and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

The apparatus is provided with a suitable base-board 10, at one end of whichis an ordinary binding-post 1l to receive the line-wire A, and this binding-post also fastens to the block an angular grounding-plate 12, one arm 45 of which is fastened beneath the bindingpost while the other extends upward parallel therewith, and opposite the grounding-plate and secured to the block is a second bindingpost 13, which is adapted to receive a ground- 5o wire B, this being fastened bya thumb-screw 14, and which also carries a contact-pin 15,

which is fastened by a thumb screw 16 and which may be placed in contact with or slightly out of contact-with the grounding-plate and fastened there. 5 5

Connected with the binding -post 11 is a wire O which is insulated and is wound upon an insulating-core 17 to form a choking-coil 1S, so that when the current is suddenly increased the resistance will deflect a greater 6o part of the current through the ground-plate 12, the pin 15, the binding-post 13, and the wire B to the ground.

The wires C, after passing from the coil 18, connect with a binding-post 19 on the base- 65 block 10, and this binding-post has an ordinary groove 20 adapted to receive the forked end 2l of a conducting-plate 22, which is fastened to one end of the insulating fuse-block 23, and the conducting-plate is also secured 7o to a binding-post 24, which is fastened to the fuse-block and which carries a U-shaped spring 25, having one end fastened beneath the binding-post and the other free end entering a slot 2G made transversely in the bind- 7 5 ing-post, this free end of the spring being adapted to clamp without cutting one end of the fusible wire D, the spring being clamped to the Wire by a thumb-screw 27. The o ther end of the fusible wire D is fastened in a slot 8o I 2G of a binding-post 24, which is exactly like the binding-post 24: and which is fastened to the opposite end of the fuse-block 23, the second binding-post carrying a spring 25 like the spring 25 just described, and the second 8 5 post has also a thumb-screw 27 to fasten the spring upon the wire D. This fusible wire, before being used, is insulated by dipping it into a solution of paraiine and sweet oil which, on cooling, forms a coating over the wire, the 9o oil serving to render the parafiine pliable and the coating protects the wire from atmospheric influences.

The binding-post 2i has at one side of it a swinging lever 29 which is fulcrumed, as 95 shown at SO, and which has a bent free end 28 which extends beneath the fusible wire D, and a spring 30 presses upward on the lever 29, so that when the fusible wire is melted or nearly melted by a heavy current the tension 10o of the spring causes the lever to carry the wire upward and swing it out of the line, thus completely cutting out the line and saving any instruments which maybe in connection therewith.

Eeneath the binding-post 2l is held one end 31 ol' a .tlat spring-lever which, at its upper end, terminates in an insulating-handle 232i, and in-the lever 32 is aI hole 31 which is adapted to receive a Contact and locking pin 35 which is held in a binding-post -56 on the block 10, this binding-post being adapted to receive the line-wire A which is fastened by a thumb-screw 3S, while the pin 235, before mentioned, is fastened by a thumb-screw 3 and can be adjusted in and out if desired. By pressing forward on the lever 232 it maybe sprung out of engagement with the pin 35 and the fuse-block lii'tcd from the base-block 10, while by placing the forked coinlucting-plate 22 in engagement with the binding-post 19 and then swinging the lever 232 into place, so as to permit the pin 35 to enter the hole i131-, the fuse-block is locked in position. .lhc lcvcr 32 therefore forms a catch acting in conjunction with the pin 35 to hold the .luseblock in position and at the same time ci'lect the' electrical connection.

Under normal conditions the current enters the wire A, passes through the bindingpost 11, the wire C, the binding-post 19, the condmeting-plate 22, the binding-post B-i, the `fusible wire D, the binding-post 24, the lcver 32, the pin 35, the binding-post 3G and out through the wire A. lf, however, the current becomes dangerously strong, the action ol'.' the coil 1S causes a part of the current to be deflected through the plate 12, contact-pin 15, binding-post 13 and wire B to the ground without burning out the wire D, and -il the current is still further increased the wire D is melted and the lever 39 lifts the melted wire out of the line and completely ents out the current from the wire AC Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A binding-post provided with a slot and a spring-clamp having one member stationary relatively to the post, and a movable spring member extending into lthe slot ol the post, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the two bindin posts formingterminals of the line-circuit, the fuse-block, a conducting-coupling to connect the :fuse-block to one oi' the binding-posts, the comlucting-cateh to connect the other end of the fuse-block to the second binding-post, the binding-posts on the fuse-block connecting with the said catch and the coupling respectively and adapted to receive a l'usiblo wire, and the spring-lever on the fuse-block to engage the said wire7 substanlialbY as described.

A binding-post provided with a slot and aspring-clamp consisting oli' a substani iall)r U-shapcd plate one end member ol' which is held in the said slot, substantially as dcscribed.

-f1. A binding-post provided with a slot and a spring-clamp consisting oi' a plate having a stationary member engaging the lower sur- 'fa-ce of the post, and a movable spring niember extending into the slot ol the post, substantially as described.

5. rl`he combination, with the two bindingposts forming terminals of the line-circuit, oli' the fuse-block, a conductilig-coupling to connect the lfuse-block to one oi' the binding-posls, the perforated spring-level.' and connectingpin, to connect the opposite end of the l'useblock to the second binding-post7 the binding-posts on the fuse-block connecting with the coupling device, and the spring-lever and the fusible wire uniting the binding-posts on the fuse-block, substantially as described.

U. The combination, of the t-wo slotted binding-posts, the spring-clamping devices held in the slots of the post, and the fusible wire connecting the posts7 substantially as described.

'IIARRY A. LEWIS.

'\Yitnesses:

F. W. BmniNc-rnxn, EUGENE D. Eennn'r. 

